Look at Them
by Lucky Strike's alter ego
Summary: Violet Harper is somewhat of a genius. She's working on graduating early but in need of some extra college credits so she applies for an internship at Stark Industries. After Tony decides to play matchmaker, she finds herself quickly falling for the silver haired boy and for the first time thinking about something other than studying and science. ON HOLD Pietro/OC
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** _I always have these fanfictions that i'm terrible at updating but I just had to submit this one because it's been stuck in my head for the past few days since I saw Avengers: Age of Ultron for the second time. At first I was going to do one with Thor's little sister being my OC but it would kind of be the same thing as Nightclub. Journey for the extremely underestimated female character who lives in the shadow of a very famous relative before making a name for herself and going through three movies before meeting her potential love interest who she can't stand at first. I was like, 'Oh, shit... This is like the same exact thing as Nightclub except lame.' This character isn't going to be a hero but just a normal person. I haven't done this before, my other fanfic OCs in the Marvel universe are always heroes. So I thought I should get this out and about. So pooped... I was up the whole night except for an hour reading Darcy Lewis/ Bruce Banner fanfictions. Don't ask why... Everything's been kind of hectic for the past few weeks for me. I just got back from Scotland and England a couple weeks ago and am suffering from... Vacation sickness? I don't know, I just know that I miss it. To all of you Brits. I am extremely jealous. I've also been looking for colleges, going to do volunteer work for community service hours which I really hate because I guess I'm selfish and I also don't like kids which I have to spend two hours a day with. I was thinking of becoming a teacher but that's out of the bag. Now I'm scared. How will I have children? I'm deathly scared of children. I've also been going to fittings and wedding stuff for my Brother's wedding. I'm a bridesmaid. At least the dress isn't pink, plum purple is a 100x better._

 _What was really funny was the fact that I think I was a bit more excited to go see Avengers: Age of Ultron than when I went to Scotland and England and I was almost throwing up then because I was so excited. I'm such a nerd. I also think I figured out a career for me but it sucks because it's so unrealistic... I want to be a Producer/ Director. I know... But it makes so much sense now that I think about it. I'll give it a try. Anyway... Sorry for the rant but I needed to get some things out._

 **SPOILER!**

 **Quicksilver does not die in this fanfiction. So I guess this story will follow the alternate ending Joss Whedon was talking about. This still follows the events after AoU just with the exception of Quicksilver living. I was really pissed about that. Why introduce a character only to kill him off? I just hope they somehow bring him back.**

* * *

Violet Harper stood in the counselor's office, scanning the bulletin board for internships. She would've preferred to not apply for an internship but unfortunately she needed to get more college credits if she wanted to graduate early which was at the end of the school year if she got her way. An internship would be cool, she told herself. So what if she had to get grumpy scientists coffee... At least she would be working in a scientific environment.

To be honest Violet was hopeful to find something at Oscorp since it was her dream job to work there someday. Oscorp was known for their advancements in the medical field. She hoped to someday contribute to those advancements even though she was leaning more towards engineering but she hoped to create something that contributed to the medical scene. Violet sighed in disappointed when noticed there was no more internships available at Oscorp. It didn't help that no where else seemed to be looking for interns either. She was about to walk out and head home when her counselor approached her.

"Find any internships, Miss Harper?" Violet shrugged and gave her a small smile.

"Not really, Mrs. Brown." Violet replied.

"None at all?" Mrs. Brown asked, looking concerned.

"No. I wanted one at Oscorp but it looks like I'm too late. They won't be accepting applications until August. Looks like I won't be graduating early." Mrs. Brown bit her lip, looking a bit nervous.

"Well, I actually just got word of another opportunity for an internship. They are a bit late since most of the students have already been sent out as interns but there are still quite a few applicants." Violet rose a brow. She wondered what company Mrs. Brown was talking about. She hoped it wasn't a two person research project in the middle of a desert. That happened to her older cousin a few years back.

"Who's offering the internship?" Mrs. Brown smiled.

"Well, there's only one spot so there would be a lot of competition. They haven't really tested an internship program in that particular department of the company."

"Who?" The curiosity was killing her.

"Stark Industries." Violet felt her heart skip a beat at the name. Sure, it was number two to Oscorp in her dream workplace but it was number two! She was suddenly filled with hope that she could win an internship. Even if she wasn't allowed to work with the scientists there, it would be cool just to be around all the Stark tech. Tony Stark may seem like a dick but he clearly had the best of the best. The man was a genius.

"That's cool." Violet said calmly, containing her excitement.

"I can summit your application." Violet smiled.

"That would be really great." Violet told her.

"Just remember not to keep your hopes up. There are a lot of people fighting for this internship." Mrs. Brown told her kindly. Violet appreciated that. She hated it when people sugar coated things.

"I know but it doesn't hurt to try." Violet replied. The older lady gave the young girl a kind look. Violet hoped that she did get this internship. It beat out having to be shipped off to the middle of a desert. She remembered the hours of complaining her cousin did over the phone or still did. She better get it.

* * *

"Bruce! Stop what you're doing right now!" Tony yelled out to Bruce. The slightly frightened Bruce Banner looked up from the computer screen at his best friend. He had been working furiously on a new project... Well, both him and Tony but Tony had left earlier for a date with Pepper.

"You really shouldn't surprise me, Tony." Tony waved his hand off dismissively.

"We've been friends for over three years, Banner, get over yourself." Bruce rolled his eyes. "If the Black Widow can't do anything to shock you into being green then I don't think I can."

"Besides, this is important... Or at least Pepper seems to think so."

"What is it, Tony?" Bruce asked annoyed.

"Someone's pushy. No, Pepper spoke to me that we had to start accepting internships for the department. It would make us look better and like 'we're leaving a legacy behind for the greater minds of future generations to come'." Bruce gave the billionaire a confused look.

"Don't you already have interns?" Tony shrugged.

"Pepper meant this department right here. The department you and I are currently standing in." Bruce's eyes widened.

"No. Tony, that's a terrible idea! You can't allow some college kid to come, unknowingly, work in a lab with us... Me. Do you know how dangerous that is?" Tony rolled his eyes.

"Stop whining. Pepper insists and it can be fun. We'd have another science bro except this one can also get us coffee and food... Well, tea for you." Bruce looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I don't know, Tony."

"Pepper is even letting me pick." Tony threw up his hands, causing the screen to pop up in front of them. Bruce couldn't help but feel like Tony sounded like a little kid. He sighed, admitting defeat, before moving to stand next to his friend.

"Let's see who we have to choose from." A bunch of profiles popped up on the screen. Tony slid through all of them, briefly scanning their majors. He didn't seem to be interested in any of them. Maybe he wouldn't find someone to meet his standards. As if Tony heard him, he paused and brought up one profile.

"Violet Elizabeth Harper." Tony said as he looked through the profile. A picture of a red head popped up on the screen. She was pretty, he supposed, but way too young for him and Tony to think about even if he wanted. She reminded him a bit of a fairy or an elf with her pixie nose and soft features. She was cute in other words.

"Look at this, Banner! The kid's a genius like us! Nineteen and she'll already be earning her doctorate in engineering. The only thing holding her back is literally this internship credit. Not as impressive as me. I graduated from MIT when I was seventeen but still impressive enough." Bruce had to admit that it was pretty impressive for someone her age.

"This is so cool, Jolly Green! We can have a girl in the lab. We don't have a chick scientist on the team. Well, we have Foster but she's boring and uptight."

"Tony, what makes you think she'll be on the team? This is only an internship. This is going to be dangerous enough as it is." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Calm down. I was just joking. Although she could conduct some tests on herself and turn into a giant she hulk. Then she would have to be on the team."

"That's not funny, Tony."

"Yes it is. Besides, Bruce, this would also be good for Speedy Gonzales and Glinda. They need someone their age. Glinda could have a best friend! They could listen to One Direction or Maroon 5 together! Speedy could have a girlfriend! Quickies all the time!"

"Tony..." Bruce slightly blushed at that last comment but trailed off, not knowing what to say. A lot of the time he didn't have any idea what to say to Tony when Tony got these crazy ideas into his head. He just put his game face on and moved on, hoping Tony would forget about the idea and move on to something else. Bruce looked at the grin on his friend's face. He didn't think that Tony would be forgetting about this little idea anytime soon.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Hope you all enjoyed it. Feel free to leave reviews._


	2. Chapter One

_**Author's Note:** I'm so surprised about all the email notifications that's been popping up ever since I published the prologue. So thrilled. Thanks, you guys. I'm so happy that you guys like it so far and find Violet relatable. I feel way more confident about this character and the overall story. I'm not sure if you guys got it or not but the references at the end of the chapter about Wanda and Pietro were the first ones that came to mind. For those of you who don't know Speedy Gonzales is a cartoon mouse with super speed and when I made a comment about Glinda I was referring to Glinda the good witch from the Wizard OZ. I would've used the good witch part but it seemed sort of long and unnecessary. Thanks again for all the reviews and please send more my way. Reviews really inspire me and get me all excited. _

_I'm also thinking that Violet will meet the team in the next chapter which includes everyone's favorite twins besides Luke and Leia and the Weasley twins of course._

 _Also thanks to one of the reviewers who told me to go for the directing/producing dream of mine. I think I could pull it off. Directing isn't limited to shows and movies although movies would be pretty cool. Thanks again for the confidence boost. Needed that._

 _I might not update tomorrow because i'm getting off school then and I have to get my community service done, put gas in my car, drive to my parent's house, watch a ton of movies, and all the fun of what should be a normal Friday night instead of Thursday. My school's on strike Friday so no school but that still means we have to come in on a Monday to make it up. Kind of unfair since we didn't even get to vote or anything and our parents are the tax payers. Sorry for ranting again._

 _Who else is going to see AoU again this weekend?!_

* * *

Violet nervously stood in front of the famous Avengers tower where Stark industries still worked out of. She got a notification that she had been accepted as an intern about a week ago. Ever since then she could hardly sleep but now the time had finally come. She'd come straight from school to the tower. She still remembered the letter she received the week before from Tony Stark himself.

 _Dear Miss Harper,_

 _It gives me great pleasure to inform you that I, Tony Stark himself, have accepted you for the internship at Stark Industries. Consider yourself awesome since there were a lot of applicants. Please start coming for your internship the first Monday of October whenever you get out of school. Don't you dare come in wearing Pepperish Clothing! Look up Pepper Potts and just don't wear it! Just casual clothing is fine. Don't be late... You can be if you want. I don't really care. I'll probably be late myself but Bruce won't._

 _With many great wishes,_

 _Tony Stark_

Violet had repeatedly read the note over and over again. That was something she should keep. Never had anything made her laugh so hard. She knew Tony Stark was... Eccentric. Okay, really weird and crazy but she was sure he would remain a professional in the work environment. With that, Violet made her way into the tower. Boy, was she wrong.

* * *

"Name." The receptionist said without looking up from the screen. She was a blonde in her mid twenties, smacking some gum. Everyone who walked through the tower made Violet feel underdressed. They wore suits and very fashionable, business professional dresses. Mr. Stark did say not to wear those kind of clothes in the lab which made sense. She wouldn't have had time to change anyway. She came there directly from the college campus. Violet bit her lip.

"Violet Harper. I'm here for the internship." She added the intern part just in case. The woman nodded before wordlessly typing something into the computer.

"Alright. Miss Potts will be down in a couple of minutes to retrieve you. Please wait in one of the chairs." Violet nodded before, taking a seat in one of the leather chairs in the lobby. She set her bag, full of school books, next to her. She felt a bit like a child waiting for her parents to pick her up from school. She heard the ding of an elevator and looked up just as a strawberry blonde walked gracefully out of the elevator. She knew who Pepper Potts was. Everyone did... Especially women. She was a significant figure for women of power. She had her hair pulled back into a bun, wearing a business professional outfit that consisted of a blouse, shirt, and heels. With the heels on, Pepper looked to be almost six feet tall which made Violet feel self-conscious about her height. She stood barely at five feet herself. Pepper wore a friendly smile on her face as she approached Violet, who stood up from her chair.

"You must be Violet!" Pepper greeted. "I'm Pepper Potts." They shook hands and Violet shyly returned her smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Potts."

"You can just call me Pepper." Pepper told her. She couldn't help but stare at the small girl in admiration. She was such a cute, young little thing. It was hard to believe that a genius lived on inside her head. Violet had her red hair pulled back into a pony tail, her hair wasn't as dark red as Natasha's hair nor as strawberry blonde as her own. It was kind of an in between shade. Her green eyes were framed by those trendy,hipster looking glasses all the kids seemed to be wearing. She wore a sweater that seemed a bit big for her but she supposed that's what all teenagers were wearing nowadays. The sweater went well with her black skinny jeans and converse. She was cute, Pepper decided.

"So I guess we'll just head up." Violet nodded and grabbed her bag, following Pepper to the elevator.

"Did you have a nice day at school? You're attending NYU, aren't you?" Violet nodded.

"Yeah I am. I had a pretty good day. Although some of those required P.E. Courses I could do without." Pepper laughed.

"Yeah, I remember those days."

"Which floor will it be, Miss Potts?" A female voice sounded through the elevator. Violet jumped about a foot in the air which made Pepper smile. The number of people that had done that in the past... Although she did miss Jarvis's voice but the Vision had that now.

"Mr. Stark's lab. Thank you, Friday."

"You're welcome, Miss Potts." Pepper turned back to face Violet who still looked up at the ceiling wearily.

"Sorry, that's Friday. She's Mr. Stark's AI system." Violet nodded slowly. "So are you excited to work with Bruce and Tony?"

"Yes, especially Dr. Banner. I read a lot of his dissertations, all of which are truly fascinating." Pepper smiled to herself. She was used to hearing praise about Tony from girls Violet's age but Violet seemed to be more of a Bruce Banner fangirl than a Tony Stark. "Not that Tony Stark won't be just as amazing to work with." She quickly added, remembering she was in the presence of Iron Man's fiancée. Although Violet was interested in working with these two particular men, she wasn't sure how she would do alone with them. As of late, Violet had developed quite the fear of being alone with men because of recent events.

"It won't be too much testosterone in there for you. Dr. Foster will be there too. She's really nice so she should be able to keep those two in control for you." Violet smiled, more relieved that she wouldn't be alone with them. The elevator stopped and the doors opened up to reveal the lab and boy was it big. It was also filled with all kinds of new technology. Violet couldn't help but gaze around in wonder as Pepper led her through it. They stopped somewhere in the back where two men were situated at a table, looking at some pieces of information on the holographic screen. A woman was sitting at another table, her was head poured over several scattered papers on the table. Pepper wore an annoyed look on her face since none of them had even looked up. Violet honestly didn't mind, she probably did the same thing.

Pepper politely cleared her throat and all three heads popped up. Tony Stark was almost exactly what she had seen on television. From his neatly styled disheveled hair, Goatee, and Black Sabbath shirt. The one thing that she hadn't exactly felt from watching television was a fierce air of confidence that seemed to surround him in some sort of thick cloud. The man next to him had to of been Bruce Banner. He seemed a great deal less confident than his friend, he seemed actually really nervous. His hair was also disheveled but not styled, it looked like he ran his hands through his hair constantly. And the woman at the other table gave a much more approachable air. She was pretty with her brown hair and doe like brown eyes. If she remembered correctly, Dr. Foster was famous for her discoveries in Astrophysics but that area of science wasn't really her expertise.

"This is Violet Harper, your new intern. I better here that you've all been treating her nicely." She gave a pointed look in Tony's direction. Pepper smiled at Violet.

"I'll see you around, Violet. Let me know if Tony's bothering you." Pepper then turned around and walked out leaving the four scientists alone. As soon as she was gone Tony stepped forward with an outstretched hand and a mischievous smirk. It frightened Violet a bit at his forwardness. Sudden movements from the opposite sex always unsettled her.

"Tony Stark, of course you already knew that. Great to finally put a living person to the profile, Harper." Violet stared at his hand for a moment before slowly shaking it. She was safe. These guys were the good guys, plus Dr. Foster was there.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Stark." Violet said politely.

"Don't call me Mr. Stark, that was my father. And a cold old bastard he was. Call me Tony." She nodded. She wanted to tell him that was unprofessional but she felt that he wouldn't respond to that way of thinking.

"That pretty little scientist over there is Thor's arm candy. She's also a highly intelligent astrophysicist." Tony added the last part after Dr. Foster glared at him. She then walked over towards Violet with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Violet, I'm Jane. It'll be great to finally get a girl in this lab." Jane shook her hand. Tony then continued in his introductions.

"This nerdy, purple shirt wearing genius is my good friend Bruce. He also turns into the jolly green giant for all parties and special occasions." Bruce groaned at Tony's introduction but shook Violet's hand nonetheless.

"Great to meet you, Violet."

"It's lovely to meet you too, Dr. Banner. I've read several of your dissertations about Gamma Radiation. Blew my mind. Seriously." Violet rambled on and Bruce looked surprised. Usually people were excited to meet Tony and scared to meet him but this girl was rambling on about his research. He had almost forgotten about that old dissertation. Jane looked at Tony with a smirk when she saw the hurt look on his face that the girl seemed more excited to meet Bruce than him.

"Thanks. You don't have to call me Dr. Banner. You can just call me Bruce." Violet returned his smile and Tony cleared his throat.

"I must say I was impressed when we received your application. Finished with high school by the age of fifteen and now receiving your doctorate at nineteen. I mean... I was seventeen when I left MIT but there can only be one Tony Stark." Jane and Bruce rolled their eyes. Violet actually looked suddenly shy and the other two scientists were glad that she didn't seem to be another Tony Stark who lived in a cloud of narcissism and arrogance.

"Thank you." Violet said, not knowing what else to say.

"I decided that another genius is just what this lab needed. Bruce and I decided to open our group of two to another. That's right. The science bros will now be a trio. Of course you'll have to stay here and I'll have to watch your progression before we officially let you in but just know that you have a good chance of hanging out with the cool kids. Foster would be a science bro but she's into the stars and way too uptight." Jane glared at him while Bruce let out a groan of frustration as Tony rambled on. Violet just didn't know what to say after the long weird ramble of things she didn't understand.

"Tony, just shut up." Bruce told him. He looked over at her. "I'm sorry. He's a five year old trapped in a forty four year old's body." Violet just smiled.

"It's fine. I'm just excited to work here with you guys." Bruce looked at her in disbelief before turning back to his work, mumbling something under his breath that sounded like 'just wait'.

* * *

Bruce was right because after just two weeks of working there with Tony, she wanted to jump off a bridge. And this was coming from a person who had probably the craziest, loudest family ever. Sometimes she would make sure the three scientists ate and slept but other times they would let her 'play with them' as Tony called it. She would offer input that seemed to actually help them a lot. She didn't help Jane so much as seeing as astrophysics was her thing. Everything was fine except that Tony just had a way of picking at people.

"So what are you? Like 4'5?" He asked, referencing her height. Violet really hated it when people made fun of her height. She got picked on enough when she was younger, being the youngest kid in her class. Throwing her below average height into the mix really didn't help her cause. Violet crossed her arms, glaring at the smirking billionaire.

"I'm five foot, Tony." Violet told him firmly. He gave her a feigned quizzical expression.

"Really? Never would've guessed. You know, you kind of remind me of a dwarf..." He paused suddenly as if he were in deep thought over this. "Wait! No! An Elf! Yes, an elf. You have kind of cute elvish features. Heart shaped face, pixie nose, small pouty lips. The whole deal." Violet didn't say anything but instead went to stand next to Bruce who was shaking his head at Tony's antics.

"Leave her alone, Tony." He told his friend tiredly. Tony just shrugged and moved towards them, ignoring the fact that they had moved to get away from him.

"Just saying because Violet has to be the most adorable person ever. Especially now that you're wearing those cute little Uggs." Violet was starting to become convinced that Anne Hathaway had it easy in _Devil Wears Prada_.

"So have you got yourself any boyfriends, Elfy?" Tony asked casually or as casually as he thought he was doing. Violet stopped in her work and immediately looked up at him in shock. She hadn't been expecting anything like that. Bruce gave Tony a warning look. He knew that Tony was hell bent on the idea of setting Violet up with Pietro. It was all he talked about ever since they met her.

* * *

 _ **One week earlier**_

"I'm telling you, Brucie, those two would make a hot couple."

"Stop playing match maker, Tony." Bruce deadpanned.

"Oh, you're no fun. Come on, Bruce! They would be the best couple ever. A genius to boot and a Sokovian super speed powered Avenger? They would make the cutest kids." Bruce gave him a firm look.

"I'm serious, Tony. We don't need to put that poor girl's life in danger. She's just trying earn a couple of college credits." Tony rolled his eyes, waving his hand dismissively.

"How is Speedy dangerous? So what if he can beat her to the check out line. Who cares?" Bruce sighed.

"Taking away that fact that Pietro's and Violet's romantic life is none of your business. Have you thought about how they would be together? He has increased strength because of his speed. If they tried procreate it would probably hurt her and if they could have children... What would that do to her? It would probably actually kill her." Tony stared at Bruce, slightly surprised.

"You really thought this out, huh?" Bruce took a deep breath after the rant.

"Well, I do a lot of thinking about things." Bruce said softly. Referencing, most likely, to the terms of his condition the other guy had thrust upon him. It was silent for a few minutes before Tony abruptly spoke up.

"Well, I still ship them. Love conquers all!"

That was the end of that discussion and it looked like Tony hadn't forgotten about his plan to set up the intern and newest avenger, both of which probably weren't aware that the other existed.

* * *

"Well..." Violet trailed off nervously. Her cheeks were red from his question. Tony loved picking on the young intern. She got all flustered, kind of like Steve did when Tony openly talked about sex. Ah, Captain Virgin, Tony thought to himself.

"I've had a couple before but I was always so busy studying so I never really had time for them." Okay, so some of that was true. Something inside Violet scoffed because they knew as well as she knew that it was a huge lie. Violet decided it wasn't the kind of thing to bring up at work... Or an internship.

"The life of a scientist. Starting off a little early, aren't you kid? Sometimes you just gotta leave the lab and party it up before getting into your work. It's good for the soul." Bruce looked at Tony like he was crazy... Which he was.

"You're insane." Bruce told him before looking at the small red head who looked at Tony like he was something she had never before. Kind of like how you went to a zoo and saw a Panda for the first time.

"Don't listen to him. You'll end up dead before you hit twenty five." Bruce told her, half kidding and half not. Violet looked between the two curiously. She always felt like she was back in grade school with the two of them. Bruce was the teacher and Tony was the bad little kid who got sent out to the hallway at least five times a day. Tony rolled his eyes before looking back at Violet or now as he liked to call her, Elfy.

"So absolutely single? Not even a guy you might sit next to in class?" She gave him an odd look.

"No, no one. It's like I said, I just have a lot on my plate right now." Violet paused, wondering why she was discussing her love life with her boss. "Wait... Why am I talking to you about this? This is so unprofessional." Tony shrugged.

"No, reason. I'm just curious and I like to get to know my interns."

"I'm your only intern."

"Exactly! Now back to work, you lazy people! We have some science to do, we don't have time to sit around and chat." Tony then turned back to whatever he had been working on before like nothing had happened. Bruce and Violet shared a look before Bruce shrugged like he was saying, ' _What are you going to do? It's Tony._ ' Violet briefly wondered when her life had become so weird that she was now under the attack of Tony Stark's antics. Oh, if only Oscorp had a position. She couldn't imagine them pestering her about her love life. Secretly, part of her enjoyed Tony's antics. It gave her a number of laughs at the end of the day and made her forget about all studying she would have to do when she got back to her dorm.

Violet seriously started thinking that maybe being Tony Stark's intern wouldn't be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Note: I want to thank all of you enormously. My inbox has become flooded with so many follows, favorites, and reviews. So glad some people like this story. The reviews have made me laugh and probably have boosted my ego.**

 **Thank you to all of the people who think that I've portrayed Tony wonderfully in this story. I can't tell you how because it just comes to me. Maybe it's from watching the Iron Man movies so many times that I've lost count.**

 **The girl on the cover and the girl who portrays Violet is Jane Levy. I was just looking through actresses to see who would fit her the most and it just ended up being her.**

 **This chapter is sort of long and a lot happens. I hope it's as enjoyable as the other ones. Keep reviewing. It's the best part of my day when I get reviews.**

* * *

Violet was seriously stressing out from her academic life. Actually her academic life was her life if she was being honest... Brutally honest but still honest. She fought to keep her eyes open for the English course she was taking. She could do well in English but she didn't like how there was just not any one right answer. That's why she did so well in her other classes. She kept pinching herself from under the desk to stay awake.

She had been putting too much on her plate as of late. Violet knew that. It's what her parents told her every other weekend for their weekly Skype chat. If she was having the normal college experience, she would be graduating in two years. Her cousin even called her out on that.

"What's the point of going college if you're only there for three years without a single frat party." Of course Violet rolled her eyes at her immature, partying cousin.

"Some people want to build a career without having to wait five or some years. Not everyone likes parties." Of course this earned Violet a shove, 'nerd!', and spending half an hour chasing her cousin around the yard in the attempt of getting her glasses back.

It annoyed a lot of people but that was just how Violet was. She would much rather study for exams weeks prior with her iPhone on shuffle then partying with a bunch of drunken idiots while also risking date rape, AIDS, and pregnancy. Nope. She was way safer with studying. And when she wasn't studying she spent her time having tv show binges off of Netflix or movie marathons. Her dorm mate was always annoyed with her because she could never bring a guy back to their dorm since Violet was always there. She really didn't care for Brittany... Or was it Beverly? Violet couldn't remember. She was a lot like her cousin, a hard time partier, except she was a lot more bitchy than her cousin.

One afternoon after school, Violet sat at one of the lab tables as Tony and Bruce stood next to each staring at a holographic screen. Violet had already gotten them food and drinks so they were good to go. The duo seemed busy so Violet settled for more studying. Listening to a chart topper from the dance genre, she started going through her notes for the essay in English that would be due in seven weeks. She had barely started on the actual essay itself when she felt someone standing behind her. Violet immediately stiffened. She never liked it when people stood behind her. She took her earbuds out, turning her head. It was none other than Tony Stark reading her essay over her shoulder. Of course he would.

"Do you need something, Tony?" She asked politely. She still felt odd calling her boss Tony.

"For English class?" Violet nodded. Tony then looked at the upper corner of the assignment and noticed the date.

"Holy shit! It's due in seven weeks!" Violet sighed.

"I know. I just need to start getting a move on. The chapter seven history exam is in four weeks." Tony gave her a look of disbelief.

"What chapter are you on now in class?"

"Chapter four." Tony stared at her long and hard before abruptly shutting her laptop close. Violet jumped in her seat at the noise and looked up at her boss in shock.

"What was that for?!"

"You need to take a break." She glared at him.

"What I need is to finish this essay." She went into her bag and grabbed her history notes. If Tony wouldn't let her finish her essay then so be it. She had history to take care of. Tony's attention was then brought to her bag. He immediately pushed her back before taking the bag and holding it high above her head. He groaned as the weight took a toll on him.

"What do you carry in this thing? My suit?" Violet huffed, crossing her arms.

"No, books." Tony took a peek in her bag, his eyes widening.

"Holy shit, Elfy, you packed a library in your bag?"

"I need them!" Violet protested, still jumping for her bag that was out of reach. Tony had to admit that it was pretty hilarious to watch. Bruce decided to finally step in while Jane just gave them one look before sighing and returning back to her work.

"Tony, give her the bag back." Bruce told him.

"And end this amusing little show? She's so riled up right now. Is it a ginger thing?" This only seemed to make the short red head angrier. "Look, Bruce! She's like a mini hulk!"

"Someday, Stark, I'm going to find a way to make you pay but for now... Give me my bag!" Tony smirked. He felt accomplished. He finally pushed the shy, quiet intern and it proved to be highly entertaining.

"Plotting your boss's murder, Elfy? You'd probably get farther than most but I'm afraid you won't be getting your bag back anytime soon." Violet stopped jumping up and down by this time. She eyed her boss wearily. Before she could speak Tony had run off with her bag. He ran around the lab with a bag held up over his head as a short red head chased him. The sight was amusing to watch to any outsider although Bruce stiffened at the pair running through a lab with very dangerous equipment which also included himself. Tony finally stopped by his toolbox. He opened it and tossed the heavy bag inside before telling Friday to lock it since it was voice activated.

Violet stared at Tony in disbelief. Bruce really didn't know why she was so shocked. She had known Tony for over two weeks now. Violet slowly walked over to the toolbox in a sort of daze. She tried to open the toolbox but it wouldn't budge... It was kind of sad to watch actually. Once she realized that it wasn't going to open, she sadly sunk against the toolbox. She wore a crestfallen expression. Bruce couldn't help but feel sorry for her. It was official. No one could get any real work done with Tony around. Tony didn't didn't look the slightest bit pulled in by the intern's defeated look.

"Cheer up, Harper, you'll get your bag back... On one simple condition." Violet looked at him suspiciously, breaking out of her crestfallen stupor.

"What do you want, Tony?" She couldn't believe that she was seriously being blackmailed by her boss but considering her boss was Tony Stark... Slightly more believable. He gave her an innocent smile.

"Just for you to have dinner with us tonight. That's all." Violet's eyes widened.

"What? Dinner?" She seemed horrified at the prospect. It made Bruce slightly curious as to why. Actually, it made sense  
come to think about it.

"Yeah, just us and the super secret boy band." He paused. "Plus the two girls which defeats the purpose of the super secret boy band but it's fine. Every group needs a couple of hot girls in it." Tony looked at his friend who suddenly tensed.

"Sorry, Bruce. Keep forgetting that you and basic instinct are pounding it. My bad." Bruce smiled but shook his head. Tony hardly ever apologized even if it wasn't a particularly good one, he would still take it.

"It's fine, Tony." Violet wanted to smile but she was too busy being mad at Tony. She was seeing that they were sharing a very beautiful moment.

"To let the green monster out, right Bruce?" And it was ruined. Violet decided to break the tension filled space between her boss and Bruce.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." The idea of having dinner with several superheroes, all of which could probably kill her with little to no effort, was a little unsettling.

"Well, it sucks that you don't have a choice. It's dinner or nothing, Elfy. Deal with it." Violet groaned. She couldn't believe she was agreeing to this ridiculous idea. She didn't really have a choice. Violet's entire life was inside that bag which was kind of sad. She needed that bag back.

"You'll promise to really give me my bag back?" Tony's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Yes but we'll have rules for now on in this lab. No more studying for things that are like over a month away from being due. You're here to have fun, not stress out that brilliant little mind." Bruce couldn't help but admire Tony in that moment. He looked like a father. Violet didn't seem happy about this but she slowly nodded. Maybe not studying would work out better. Tony and Bruce might even let her work more with them.

"Okay, fine. But as long as I get my bag back at some point tonight." Bruce was slightly taken back by the grin that spread across Tony's face. He knew that grin from anywhere. It meant trouble and it meant that the billionaire had something up his sleeve. Violet was oblivious to her boss's odd expression.

"Trust me, by the end of tonight you'll forget all about your little bag." Violet gave him an odd look. He sounded even more conniving than usual.

Superheroes...

* * *

Violet couldn't help but worry about her appearance before the dinner. She felt odd staying past dark since normally she left around six to head back to her dorm. Her hair was up in her usual ponytail. She never liked it getting in the way of her work. She wore contacts that day instead of glasses, Violet only ever wore the glasses when she forgot her contact lenses which was a lot. Her clothes weren't terrible but just not anything she pictured when meeting earth's mightiest heroes.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Violet asked her boss as they came down in the elevator. Tony rolled his eyes at the girl's nervousness.

"Yes, Elfy, it's fine. What do you think we eat in? Armani? Alexander McQueen?" Violet blushed.

"Well, I guess I just get that vibe from you." Bruce disguised his laugh as cough and Tony looked surprised.

"Wow, Harper, was that an actual joke? I'm shocked." Violet huffed.

"I can have a sense of humor too, Tony."

"Hanging around serious scientists all day tends to make me discriminate. I start thinking all the other ones are dull, boring, and lame. Sorry, Bruce." Bruce just shook his head. Tony never ran out of things to say... That wasn't necessarily a good thing.

* * *

Pietro sat with his sister at the table with the others. His sister sat patiently waiting whilst talking a little bit too much, for his liking, to Vision. He impatiently drummed his fingers against the table. He was hungry and while having a faster metabolism, because of his condition, didn't help his situation.

He glanced around the table at the others who seemed perfectly fine with waiting for Stark. Couldn't that man ever be on time? Pietro might've not have held his parents death against him anymore but that didn't mean that he liked him. Stark had a terrible habit of getting on people's nerves and pushing buttons some people didn't want pushed. Especially these past couple weeks.

* * *

 **One week earlier...**

Pietro had just come from the gym after training with Steve and Natasha. He said he didn't need to because of his ability, he didn't see the point of learning combat when he could just hit his enemy and they would never see it coming anyway. Unfortunately, they didn't agree. Natasha gave him one of her famous death glares and he caved in without another thought. That was one woman he knew better than to cross.

Because of his super speed, he was given an increased metabolism, much like Steve and Thor actually, which meant he was hungry all the time... Especially after physical activity. Getting beat up by the Black Widow really did take a toll on a person. Pietro was shoveling down a couple slices of leftover pizza when Tony Stark came strolling into the kitchen. The billionaire usually came for one of his odd looking health drinks which resembled the color of the Hulk's skin. Pietro was in the middle of his second slice of pizza when Tony made a 'tssking' noise. The silver haired runner turned his head to look at Tony.

"Learn some manners, Speedy, that chipmunk cheek look isn't going to attract the ladies." Tony told him. Pietro swallowed his food.

"What do you want, Stark?" Tony feigned an innocent look.

"Just my drink, of course." Pietro didn't believe him. Stark always was up to something.

"I'm also trying to hide from Pepper. She's nagging me to go to some board meeting I could really care less about." Tony continued before looking around as if checking for any eavesdroppers... As if he were about to share a big secret with Pietro. "Although... Let me tell you something, kid. Red heads? Phenomenal in the sack." He winked at Pietro who gave him a disgusted look.

"I don't want to hear about your sex life, old man."

"Just 'cause you're not getting any." Tony sang.

"How would you know, Stark?" The billionaire shrugged.

"Well... You're just giving me that kind of vibe. The annoyed, agitated, uptight one." Pietro smirked.

"I think that's just because of your current presence."

"That really hurts but seriously do the gentlemanly, well mannered thing and it'll get you laid. I mean look at Capsicle. The girls are drawn to the whole chivalry, goody goody thing. Too bad Captain Virgin lets it all go to waste." Pietro glared at Tony. He got plenty laid. Although those girls were just one night stands but still... He couldn't be compared to Steve who blushed at any topic that referenced sex. It was a little ridiculous since Steve was the captain of the team and older than all of them. If Tony was pestering anyone it should be Steve and not him.

"I don't need your advice, Stark." Tony simply shrugged with a smug smirk before taking his drink and moving to leave the kitchen.

"Suit yourself, Speedy." Tony paused before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes it's nicer waking up next to someone than waking up alone." Pietro looked at him suspiciously as he exited the kitchen. He stared at Tony's retreating back for a few seconds before turning back to his food. He didn't need to be reading too much into the weirdness of Tony Stark.

* * *

 **Present...**

Other than that one encounter, Pietro hadn't really ever shared any other lone encounters with the billionaire. It was probably a good thing. He spent most of his time with his sister like always or with Clint who had become more like a father figure to him and his sister. He and Wanda had often visited the archer and his family. Their life reminded him of the life he and his twin used to have before the bombings. Sometimes it was nice to see but the reminder of the loss usually seeped in after a while.

"Do we have to wait for Stark?" Pietro whined as his sister glared at him for his impatience. Vision gave him a look that resembled amusement which he didn't like. Mr. Perfect got on his nerves a little too much.

"As much as I would love to finally not wait for Tony, he has two other starving scientists with him." Pepper said with good humor. Pietro rose a brow as he glanced over at Thor who's girlfriend was giggling at something he had just whispered into her ear.

"But Jane is already here, no?" Jane's attention was brought into the conversation as she heard her name. Her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Actually Tony decided to invite the intern that's been working in the lab with us. I'm so glad there's someone who doesn't feel the need to encourage his antics." Pepper seemed overjoyed by this new information but Pietro was still left confused.

"Violet's coming? Tony didn't tell me he was inviting her for dinner?" Her eyes then widened in panic. "I should've cooked something! Not ordered take out!" Jane laughed.

"I'm sure everything will be fine, Pepper. Violet won't mind." Pietro was about to ask another question but Steve beat him to it.

"Woah... What intern?" Pepper smiled as everyone brought their full attention to the conversation, all curious.

"I thought it would nice if we added an intern to work with Tony and Bruce in the labs. The college was asking if there were any more openings so I thought it would be good for the company and the school. I let Tony pick from all the applicants and he picked Violet. He said she had a high I.Q or something. I guess it's a genius thing. She's an incredibly sweet girl." Pepper then looked around the table suspiciously.

"I expect you to treat her nicely. Don't scare her." She was mostly looking at Natasha when she said this. Everyone all nodded in agreement. Pietro leaned back in his chair as he listened to Pepper's explanation for their guest.

"You should at least pay the girl, Pepper." Clint told her seriously. "Working in the same space as Tony has to be a stressful job." Everyone burst out laughing. Before Pepper could reply, the elevator dinged before opening. Everyone turned their heads to look at the trio who stepped out of the elevator. They were all chatting casually, he heard scientific terms that never computed well in his mind. He recognized the smug billionaire that was Tony and the disheveled scientist that was Bruce but he didn't recognized the small red head who stood in between the two.

She wore a slightly amused expression as she watched the playful banter between Tony and Bruce. She couldn't have been much younger than Pietro and his sister but maybe even younger than that given her small height. She was graced with pale, creamy skin as well as freckles that splashed across her nose. Her green eyes shimmered as she laughed at something Tony had said, her pixie nose also crinkled in a cute way as the laughter fell out of her. Pietro looked at her and couldn't help but be reminded of a fairy as he looked at her. It was the perfect description for her.

* * *

"Aren't I enough for you, Brucie? What does she have that I don't?!" Tony cried dramatically after Bruce told him he couldn't work on their experiment in the lab because he was taking Natasha out for lunch the next day. Violet couldn't help the laughter that spilled out of her at Tony's sudden exclamation.

"Tony, stop acting silly." Bruce told him, sounding rather annoyed.

"You just keep breaking my heart, buddy."

"I see you guys have finally emerged from your evil lair." Someone said. Violet turned only to spot a red head who looked at the three with a raised brow. She was beautiful. Porcelain skin, luscious curves, and just the whole desirable package. Violet didn't know where she recognized her from.

"Sorry." Bruce apologized, blushing. She then realized that it was the Black Widow. Of course! Tony had only teased Bruce all last week about the former assassin. Violet never knew that she could hold so much admiration yet so much fear for one person.

"We would've been here sooner but Bruce was too busy daydreaming about you and your beautiful self since I'm apparently not pretty enough for him." It wasn't until then that Violet noticed all the other Avengers who stared at her in curiosity. She suddenly felt very self conscious at being stared at by a full group of superhumans... Plus a God and android apparently.

She recognized Captain America immediately. Her cousin never stopped going on and on about him, apparently he was on her superheroes to bang list. Violet really wished her cousin wouldn't casually tell her about those things. Thor was easy to recognize, even in his normal clothes. She couldn't help but admire how completely happy Jane seemed at his side. There was a couple others she recognized from the news. Hawkeye and then Rhodey who had dropped by the lab earlier in the week to see Tony. She remembered Hawkeye from the news after the battle of New York.

The dark skinned man who sat next to Captain America wasn't someone she recognized. He must have been a new Avenger. She only knew about Vision from one of Tony's many ramblings in the lab. Violet looked at a brunette girl who chatted with Vision with ease. She looked to be just a bit older than Violet. She wore heavy eye make up but appeared cheerful and delighted in the Vision's company. Next to her was another she didn't recognize. She should really watch the news more.

The man seemed to also not be too much older than her. He was good looking... Okay, really really handsome especially with that jawline. His eyes were a pale blue that seemed to hold a mischievous glint but somehow much much more innocent than the gleam in Tony's eyes. He wore slight stubble which gave Violet an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. What struck her the most was his silver colored hair which seemed to oddly suit him. He also looked very... Fit.

Violet wanted to roll her eyes at herself. Was she seriously checking this guy out? She then justified it with being in a room with noticeably attractive superheroes. Thor and Captain America were also ridiculously good looking as well. It was perfectly natural. She blushed when she noticed the stranger had been staring at her too. They locked eyes and he quickly looked away with his own blush. Great... She had probably made him uncomfortable with her staring. How embarrassing. She finally tore her eyes away from the stranger only to catch Tony Stark smirking at her. He looked like a child who had just been given exactly what he wanted for Christmas. It was slightly unnerving.

"Well, let's all eat. I'm starving." Tony announced as he dragged Bruce and Violet towards the table. Violet expected the spot next to the Vision and Jane was probably meant for her since the other two empty spots were obviously for the two Avengers that couldn't be separated. She walked towards it and was about to sit down when Tony suddenly grabbed her and dragged her to the spot across from it next to Bruce and forcibly sat her down in it. Violet also noticed that she just so happened to be sitting next to the guy who she was staring at earlier.

"Just thought you should have some bonding time with Bruce." Tony commented after taking the seat Violet had almost taken. She looked up to see all of the Avengers plus Pepper and Jane, staring at him with suspicious looks. They looked like they weren't buying into what he was saying. She didn't see what the problem was. It was only a chair. Violet couldn't help but feel stiff after Tony grabbed her and placed her between two men. She would be fine. Violet just needed to get used to it. She glanced up to see the Black Widow watching her discomfort curiously.

"This is Violet Harper, our intern, by the way." Tony added after the awkward silence. He gave the man sitting next to her a huge grin.

"It's nice to meet you, Violet." Captain America said from down the table with a friendly smile. She smiled back politely.

"Thanks. It's nice to meet all of you too, Tony talks about you all the time." It wasn't necessarily true but Violet was trying to be polite.

"I'm sure he has. Pepper was saying that you were attending college. What are you-"

"Don't talk to her!" Tony interrupted abruptly. Everyone stared at him in surprise and Tony managed to look sheepish after his outburst.

"I, uh, mean... Stop hitting on her. Geez, Steve, she's nineteen and you're almost one hundred. Do the math." Steve blushed instantly while Violet glared at her boss. He was acting weirder than he had in the past couple of weeks.

"I wasn't hitting on her, Tony." Steve told him, slightly embarrassed. The dark skinned man next to him was snickering.

After that odd outburst from Tony, dinner was actually kind of fun. The avengers were very welcoming to the new intern. She laughed at their trading remarks to each other. She hadn't really heard a peep out of the silver haired man next to her. He seemed occupied with his food as did Thor and Captain America. Violet had never seen people devour so much food in so little time. It was kind of fascinating to watch. She guessed that the guy probably had the same fast metabolism as the other two avengers who also were eating their food at an alarmingly fast pace. It was after dinner when things got interesting. They were all seated in the equalivant of a living room.

"Well, I think it's adult time now." Tony said suddenly, clapping his hands together. "Sorry kids." He looked at Pietro, Wanda, and Violet.

"What is it that you are going on about, Man of Iron?" Thor questioned his friend. The others seemed just as weirded out by Tony's behavior.

"Well, I thought we could just sit and have some adult talk about life and it's impact on society. Just some things that children don't understand." He gave the younger three of the group a pointed look. "It's not children talk."

"Stark," The brunette said in a think accent. Violet briefly wondered if it was Russian, it must have been Eastern European at least. "We're not children. Why do you insist on acting so... Odd."

"Don't get so twitchy, witchy. You can flirt with your little boy toy later." She glared at him.

"I can head home, Tony. If I could just have my bag?" Violet said, standing up.

"NO!" Tony yelled. Everyone turned to look at him. Something was definitely up with the billionaire.

"I mean... Don't think you can get out of socializing that easily, Elfy." Tony sat her back down just as the others got back up to leave.

"So we adults will head over to the bar and you kids just sit tight with a little juice pouch or something." Tony winked at them before following the others. Violet stared after him before turning back to the brunette and silver haired boy.

"Has he always been like that?" She asked with a knowingness in her, she already knew the answer.

"As arrogant and annoying? Yes, but he's acting even more odd than usual." The brunette remarked. She looked back at Violet with a friendly smile.

"I don't believe Stark introduced us to you earlier. I'm Wanda and this is my brother Pietro." She said kindly as she gestured to her brother who sat next to her. He seemed to be watching Violet in a way that had her feeling even more self conscious. She was just glad that Wanda seemed to be able to provide space between them. An amount of fear flooded through her at the way Pietro, apparently, was looking at her. It reminded her too much of dark times. Wanda nudged her brother when she noticed his silent staring of the short red head. He forced a smile.

"Nice to meet you." His accent was equally Eastern European, given that he was Wanda's brother... It was a cute accent though even if the guy made her a bit uncomfortable.

"I suppose Stark wanted us to meet someone our own age." Wanda said after Pietro's forced greeting. "We haven't really been living a normal lifestyle. You seem to be though? Pepper was saying you go to college?" Violet smiled.

"Yes, college is great. As for people our own age... I don't think you're really missing out." Wanda laughed. It had been a while since she had talked like this. Like actual girl talk. She had Pepper and Natasha but both of them were older than her and Natasha didn't really strike her as someone to get nails done with.

"So you have a dorm and everything then?" Pietro rose a brow. His sister was usually not so open and talkative.

"Yeah but my dorm mate is a pain. She gets on me for sleeping in my own dorm. Living with a complete stranger isn't what it's made out to be." Wanda glanced at Tony from the corner of her eye.

"I think we might know how you feel." Violet noticed the object of her attention and laughed.

"Tony? Yeah but he's not so bad." The twins looked at her in shock. Usually people grew a strong resentment of Tony Stark after spending hours on end with him. "At least he has a sense of humor."

"I guess he does." Wanda replied.

"What about you guys? Do you go to school?" Pietro stared at the girl who looked at them as if there wasn't anything strange about them at all. Him with his silver hair especially, he wasn't likely the poster boy for college guys.

"No, I don't think school is for us." Pietro said. Violet couldn't help but look at him, he had stayed pretty quiet through out the whole conversation.

"Pietro was never academically motivated." Wanda told her, teasing her brother. "You must be? Pepper mentioned you having a high IQ?" Violet blushed. She always found it awkward when people told her things like that. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say.

"Yeah. I'll be graduating this year with my doctorate's degree." Pietro noticed the excited gleam in her emerald eyes when she talked about this. It was the same gleam he saw in Tony and Bruce's eyes when they talked about their projects. It must have been a scientist thing.

"I wish I had something to occupy my time with. We're just locked in this tower most of the time." She looked at her brother for confirmation but noticed how his eyes weren't leaving Violet who seemed oblivious to his staring for the moment. Wanda knew that look in her brother's eyes a little too well. He was up to something. He must have been spending too much time with Stark.

"I'm sure there's a lot you do here. I wouldn't imagine Tony would let anyone go bored around here." They laughed. Their laughter had barely quieted down when Pietro broke the humor in the air by entering the conversation with a totally different topic.

"Are you seeing anyone, Violet?" Pietro asked randomly. Wanda glared at her brother while Violet stared at the previously silent avenger in shock. It was just like before when Tony asked her the same question only this time it felt a lot more serious. He wore a smirk that put Violet even more on edge.

"Um... No." Pietro looked even more smug at that.

"I'm surprised. I would have thought someone as beautiful as you would have been taken... Not that I'm disappointed." Pietro flirted, causing Violet's cheeks to flush red. Pietro didn't know exactly why he had decided to flirt with her. She wasn't his usual type. His type were blondes with huge racks and long legs. He'd never gone for the shy, quiet types. He didn't think this girl was capable of flirting or anything of the bold nature. Something about her spoke to him though. Maybe it was her look, she seemed pure... Innocent. Something he had lost sight of long ago, the day his parents died. Maybe that was why everyone else seemed drawn to her. They lost that part of themselves too and it was nice seeing it in someone else.

"Thank you? I think it's time to get going, it's pretty late. It was nice meeting both of you." Violet told them both before getting up. Pietro was a little thrown off that she had purposely ignored his comment. Usually girls would at least roll their eyes or flirt back.

"I hope we see you again, Violet. It'll be nice to hang out with someone my own age." Wanda told her kindly. Violet smiled at her but avoided eye contact with Pietro.

"Yes, we'll have to see a movie or something." She then turned around and started walking towards Tony who was situated at the bar. Wanda suddenly glared at her brother, elbowing him in the side.

"Ow!" Pietro yelped but Wanda rolled her eyes.

"Don't be such a baby. I'm mad at you... You scared her off. Do you know how hard it is to make friends who don't think you're a freak?"

"I must since I also have enhanced abilities."

"You know what I mean. Why do you always have to be an ass? That's supposed to be Stark's job."

"I didn't think she would be so timid."

"My brother is an idiot."

* * *

"Tony, what are we doing over here? Why don't you want them to join us?" Steve questioned. The others also looked at Tony with confusion and suspicion. Well, everyone except for Rhodey, Jane, and Bruce who already knew Tony's plan. Not even Pepper was aware of his plans. Tony smirked and stole a look at the three who sat on the couch chatting.

"It's actually quite simple, Cap." Tony explained as he took a sip of his scotch. "Although your senile mind might be too off to understand it." Steve glared at him.

"Stop playing games." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Fine, be that way. Beating around the bush is definitely not my thing. Well, the story basically centers around one stone killing several birds. An intern needed an internship to get her needed college credits, Stark Industries needed a new intern for a better image, Glinda needed a best friend, and Speedy needed a girlfriend. So that's like what? Four birds?" Everyone stared at the billionaire in shock... They actually may have been staring at him like he was crazy.

"What are you saying, Tony?" Clint asked cautiously. He became concerned with the subject as soon as Tony had mentioned Pietro and Wanda. He had come to adopt the twins in a way, becoming a father figure to the pair of them. He didn't like the idea of Tony meddling in their lives.

"I just said exactly what I meant, Bird Brain."

"So what? You're just pawning off your intern as some kind of reward to the twins?" Natasha asked in deathly tone. Tony swallowed, he almost pissed himself with the look she was giving him.

"No, it's a win for her too. She gets a friend, boyfriend, and college credits."

"The way you think sometimes truly scares me." The Vision told him.

"Her and Speedy would make the cutest couple ever, which I told Bruce earlier. I mean... Look at them." Everyone turned to look at three just as Pietro said something to the short red head, making her blush. "Tell me that's not the start of something. Their kids would be awesome too. Genius intellect with super speedy powers?"

"It might be good." Pepper said quietly and everyone looked at her. Normally she would be on their side whenever Tony came up with a crazy idea. "I mean that Violet is very nice girl and Pietro seems like a nice boy. It might be good for them."

"You need to be careful around her." Natasha said suddenly. All the confused looks turned towards her.

"What?" Clint questioned.

"I mean that she seems to distance herself from male contact."

"So she's an lesbian? Guess Speedy's out of luck. Maybe Glinda will have a better shot." The former assassin rolled her eyes.

"Not like that, dumb ass. I mean to say that she was probably abused when she was younger. All the signs are there. She shrinks away from eye contact with men. She seems cautious of her environment."

"She's been fine in the lab with us." Bruce told her.

"But Jane was there too, wasn't she?"

"She was in the elevator with us." Tony also pointed out.

"It would've been hard for her but you probably have gained some of her trust in the past couple weeks. No more surprises though." Tony rose a brow at this. Now that he thought about it, Violet had been unusually more Squamish than most people were. He would have to look back at her files to see if there was anything more about it.

"I'll make sure to tell Speedy to not be so abrasive." Natasha was about to reply when everyone noticed Violet walking towards them. She seemed flushed in the face as she walked over with a slightly shocked expression.

"Hey, Tony, I should be heading out. I need to wake up early. Can I have my bag now please?" Tony smirked, looking passed her to the silver haired man staring after her.

"Sure thing, kid, my job here's done for now. Your bag is waiting for you in the car with Happy who will be returning you home." Violet'a eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, you don't have to do that." He waved his hand dismissively.

"Nonsense, Elfy! Now take the damn car and get the hell out of my tower." The Avengers all gave him a look.

"I mean our tower." Violet smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Tony." She then turned back around and headed for the elevator. Tony waited until the doors closed before he opened his mouth, looking across the room.

"A little tip, road runner, don't come on too strong to the shy ones or they'll be the ones running."


	4. Chapter Three

**Author's Note: Thank you again! This story is just so much fun to write! I have to say that Pietro and Violet are likely my favorite couple. What would their ship name even be? Vietro? Pielet? Pielet sounds cuter.**

 **I should probably say that I don't own Marvel. I keep forgetting to say that. I don't own Pietro, Tony, or anyone... Just Violet. Stan Lee deserves all the credit... That man should be ruler of the world because he's a genius.**

 **I also don't own Pitch Perfect, Pitch Perfect 2, Charlie XCX, Fitz and the Tantrums, their song Out of My League, Downton Abbey, Mary Crawley, Taylor Swift, The Walking Dead, Arctic Monkeys, Matthew McConaughey, or Dazed and Confused. All of which are mentioned at some point in this chapter. I'm looking at all these things and just wow... Weirdest grouping of stuff ever.**

 **Also thanks for the comments about Tony. I keep getting reviews on how well I write Tony and just thank you. I don't even realize that I'm doing it. Maybe Tony Stark is somewhere deep in my mind and his voice just tells me these things. Tony would be an amazing subconscious!**

 **Thanks and keep reviewing!**

* * *

Things had slowed down relatively normal in the past week of what was Violet's life. She didn't study for anything that was due past two weeks and Tony let her work with him and Bruce. She had also become closer with Wanda. The two girls often chatted in the kitchen whenever Violet had to bring food up to the starving scientists.

"So you find anything entertaining to do in the tower?" Violet asked of the young Avenger. They had gone to see _Pitch Perfect 2_ and the credits had just rolled.

"Well, I checked out that show you recommended. _Downton Abbey_. I really like it." Wanda paused for a moment. "Except for that Mary character..."

"Same." Violet replied. "She's not the most likable character."

"I've also been talking to Vision lately." Wanda admitted and Violet smiled. One heard a lot of gossip in the lab with Tony Stark. The billionaire constantly went on and on about the love lives of his team mates.

"How has that been?" Wanda bit her lip, looking down at her popcorn in deep thought.

"Good but... I think I like him but it's... Well, it's complicated." Violet wasn't sure what advice she could offer on the subject. How did one go about dating andriods?

"Does he like you too?" Wanda groaned in frustration.

"That's the thing! I don't know because he's an android. Sometimes I think that he does but... I don't know." Violet sighed.

"It does sound complicated." Wanda nodded in agreement.

"Well, I don't know much about relationships but I am a scientist." Wanda gave her a confused look. She wondered where Violet was going with this but Violet just continued, oblivious to Wanda's confusion.

"In conducted experiments we do a trial run, we have several trials where we test a theory. We give ourselves a pretty big question and that's why we have the experiment. Anyway, we take information from these trials and average it up before we make a conclusion and hopefully from the conclusion we'll be correct." Wanda stared at her new friend with a thoughtful expression. She understood what Violet was telling her and it was actually very helpful to her current predicament.

"So you're saying that I should wait for more signs that Vision feels the same before telling him how I feel?" Violet shrugged.

"If you want to be sure. Sometimes delayed gratification is the best in a situation. Waiting makes you sure that you won't get hurt." Violet said but Wanda had a feeling that she wasn't only applying it Wanda's current situation. The question came out of Wanda's mouth before it even went through her head.

"You said you weren't seeing anyone the other night. Have you've seen anyone before?" Violet sighed at the question. She supposed girl talk was necessary when having a female friend. She had it with her cousin but that was different because she was family. Violet decided to screw it and just open up to her new friends. Maybe not too much but just enough to let herself trust someone new.

"There was a couple of boys..." She trailed off as she thought back to the past. She shook her head and smiled."I dated this one boy that didn't have anything to do with science. He liked video games and _The Walking Dead_ so I suppose he was pretty normal. It didn't work out because I spent too much time studying and not enough with him."

"There was another?" Wanda asked gently. Violet shrugged.

"Yeah, this one was a little bit older. He actually was college aged and he was into engineering like me. I thought dating another scientist would be better... At least he would understand." She laughed humorlessly.

"The problem is with two people with the same dreams is that there's too much competition. I was supportive of him but I guess he couldn't be the same for me." It was half of the story but Violet didn't think she was ready to share the rest. Maybe when more time passed. Wanda was still new to her, she needed to be able to trust her completely before divulging her sob story.

"I'm sorry." Wanda whispered, looking at the younger girl in sadness. It was obvious that Violet still looked back at the relationships in regret. She felt lonely just as Wanda felt the same. They felt as if they were alone in the world without that one person who was supposed to understand them the best. Wanda had Pietro, that was true, but it was also different. He was family but Wanda was searching for something different.

"It makes you wonder, after dealing with failed relationships, if it's true about what they say. Is there really someone for everyone?" Violet said quietly.

"I'd like to think so. It gives me hope that maybe there is someone out there that can love you unconditionally that doesn't have to, not like family does." Violet smiled at her. It was a rather tender moment the two shared. She had never experienced a moment like this one, a moment with a friend that wasn't using her. Violet was tired of being used but Wanda, she knew, wouldn't do that.

* * *

Violet was balancing two plates on top of each other in the kitchen as she glanced down at her phone, distracted. She decided that it was about time that Tony and Bruce ate even though they insisted that they weren't hungry. She knew better... They just didn't want to take the time to eat.

She glanced at her spotify app which decided to play one of the slower _Arctic Monkeys_ song when she was in the mood for something more upbeat. She settled for ' _Do I Wanna Know'_. Violet was about to slip her phone back in her pocket when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She let out an alarmed yelp, dropping the plates. She waited for them to break on the floor but she saw a blur and soon enough they were in someone else's hands. She looked up and met familiar amused eyes.

"I didn't meet to frighten you." He said in that cute accent. It was Sokovian, she learned after Wanda told her all about their home country.

"Something tells me you did." She muttered under her breath, thinking Pietro couldn't hear her. She glared at him.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Whatever you can do. Is it teleporting or something because I didn't even hear you come in." He raised a brow.

"Can you even hear with your music?" She blushed, taking out her earbuds.

"I can hear just fine... Just don't surprise me next time. I don't like surprises." Pietro shrugged.

"The least you could is thank me. I did catch these plates for you." She wanted to say that it was his fault she had dropped them in the first place but she didn't want to start anything with him. Not when she was friends with his sister. Despite the fact that he made her uncomfortable she would've like to try to be his friend.

"Thank you, Pietro." Pietro stared at her shamelessly. Violet blushed before taking the plates from his hand, she felt something strange when her fingers brushed his. Some excitement that could be felt in the pit of her stomach. She wondered if he had felt it too? She shrugged it off.

"Are you going to eat those two whole sandwiches?" He asked after the moment of silence. She laughed and shook her head.

"No they're for Tony and Bruce. It's part of my job, making sure they eat and sleep regularly."

"It must be a hard job with a boss like Stark." She shrugged.

"He's not so bad. He can get on your nerves sometimes but he's always been nice to me, he feels more like a friend than a boss. Tony's a good person." Pietro looked down at the red head in confusion. He had never met anyone who decided that they liked Tony Stark. He suddenly wished he had Wanda's power to read minds because he wondered what this girl was thinking.

"Do you need help carrying those down there?" He offered.

"Yeah, sure. I have to grab some papers for them too so that would actually be a huge help." He took the plates from her again and she reached over the counter to grab the papers she mentioned.

"Thank you again." She smiled at him.

"Ladies first." Pietro said but she bit her lip as a nervousness came over her.

"You should probably go first. I'm going to need a human shield, I've been gone a while and Tony's probably starving even if he won't admit it." Pietro chuckled before making his way to the elevator. Violet couldn't help but feel relieved.

* * *

She entered the lab just as she said, with him as a human shield. Tony and Bruce looked up from their work at the pair who had just entered the lab. Tony grinned seeing who his favorite intern was with. Violet looked at her boss, looking quite weirded out by his sudden grin.

"Here's your papers." She set them down in front of him. "And your lunch." Pietro tried handing it over to Tony but the billionaire just stared at him.

"He doesn't like being handed things." She told Pietro softly. The Sokovian gave them both an odd look.

"What?" Violet wanted to laugh at the confused look.

"He doesn't like being handed things. I learned that on my first day." Pietro surrendered before setting the plates on the table from which Tony slid the plate closer to himself and took the sandwich. Stark was such a weirdo, Pietro thought.

"So who's your new little friend, Elfy?" Pietro rose a brow.

"You know who he is, Tony."

"Elfy?" Pietro interrupted their banter. The two engineers turned around to stare at him.

"It's her pet name. You know 'cause she's all short and little like Santa's little helper." Violet rolled her eyes.

"I don't think you look like an elf." Pietro stated.

"Why's that, Speedy?" Tony asked curiously.

"You just don't... I don't know how to explain it exactly." Ignoring Tony and looking directly at Violet. "You look more like a fairy to me." Violet blushed.

"Thanks?" Tony smirked. Looks like things were finally going his way. Bruce just shook his head at Tony, he never would have guessed a former womanizer would turn out to be a romantic. It was a bit silly look for him but deep down Bruce was proud of him. He wasn't completely selfish like many thought. No, he just pretended he didn't have a heart but Bruce knew the truth.

"Why don't you stay down here in the labs with us?" Tony asked Pietro. Pietro gave him a shocked look. He was surprised that Tony actually wanted him down there. He wouldn't even let Steve down in the lab, often locking the super soldier out.

"You know, maybe just to get a feel for the equipment in case of an emergency." Pietro briefly wondered what kind of emergency would require him to know science equipment but he didn't dare question Tony. Maybe this was his chance to get to know Violet better.

"Go ahead and sit down over there with Violet." She was already seated at one of the other tables, having what looked like homework out.

"That homework better not be due for two weeks at the most, young lady." Tony scolded, trying to look serious. The red head just smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, Tony, it's not due until Wednesday." The billionaire gasped.

"A whole week! Wow, Elfy, you're starting to really slack off." Pietro took a seat next to Violet. He didn't know how to describe how she looked with her red hair pulled up into its usual ponytail, her college sweatshirt which hung a bit too loose off of her form... He was kind of hoping for something that would give him a clue as to what she might look like underneath. She bit her lip in concentration as she started writing something down on her paper. One earbud hung out of her ear and he couldn't help but wonder what she was listening to. He had received enhanced hearing from the experiments but he could only catch the subtle hint of what sounded like drums.

"What are you listening to?" He blurted out. Violet looked up at him, a bit alarmed from finally noticing his presence. She calmed down once she told herself that he was just Tony's friend, an Avenger.

"Sorry, you scared me for a minute there... Again."

"I'm sorry. Would you believe if I said it wasn't intentional?" She smiled.

"Maybe." He looked surprised. Was she flirting with him?

"Oh, um..." She said as she recalled his question. " It was ' _Out of My League'_ by _Fitz and the Tantrums,_ the song I was listening to."

"I don't think I've heard of them." She nodded.

"A lot of people haven't. They're sort of an alternative rock band."

" That and I was... Away for a while so I'm not as educated about popculture in particular." She flushed red.

"Of course, I forgot. I'm so sorry, that was really insensitive." He just laughed. She looked cute when she got all flustered.

"It's fine. I hear that you're educating Wanda about pop culture. She was talking about a movie you went to see a couple of days ago."

"Yeah, I just gave her a list of stuff to watch since she mentioned there wasn't a lot to occupy her time with in this tower. We went to see the sequel after she saw the first one." Pietro nodded. He remembered Wanda raving on and on about the movie she had seen with Violet. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous since he had been planning a way to "casually" bump into Violet since she was always with Tony, Jane, Bruce, or his sister. He had never been able to catch her alone except for in the kitchen.

"Maybe you could give me a list?" She smiled, her emerald eyes lighting up. Violet was happy that Pietro seemed to be willing to educate himself in pop culture just like his sister had.

"Sure, I'll try and give you the same one as Wanda but I might mark a couple things off the list. You don't seem like a _Pitch Perfect_ or _Charlie XCX_ kind of guy." He nodded again even though he had no idea what that meant.

"I would like that." He said, pale blue eyes meeting vibrant green ones. He smirked when she blushed again.

"If you want you can listen in on my playlist." She said, breaking up the intense eye contact. Violet offered him her earbud and he happily took it, plugging it into his ear. Fast paced, upbeat music with relatable lyrics met his ears. He found that he liked _Fitz and the Tantrums_ and not just because Violet seemed to like them. She smiled at him, waiting for a reaction. He felt if she kept smiling at him in that way that he would even endure _Taylor Swift_ for her.

"What do you think?"

"I like them." Violet seemed pleased. She went back to her homework, ready to work but she paused in doing so. Pietro noticed her hesitation and decided that he would leave. He didn't want to take her away from what she had to do.

"I can leave. I don't want to bother you." He told her. Violet looked up at him before closing her notebook abruptly.

"It's not due for a while, it came wait." She said after giving it a bit of thought. She didn't need a week to work on a short history assignment. "In the mean time... How about I introduce you to the world of pop culture starting out with the genius known as McConaughey?" Pietro rose a brow.

"What's a McConaughey?"

"That's what I'll show you because everyone needs to know what a McConaughey is. Although I think I should show you the cool, bad ass McConaughey rather than the romantic, funny McConaughey like I'm showing your sister."

"I don't understand what you're saying." For the first time in a while Violet smirked. He had no idea of the awesomeness he was about to be faced with, he really had it coming.

"We'll start with _Dazed and Confused_ first."


End file.
